Never in Limbo
by JtheBard
Summary: : Set five years after the end of "Forever in Limbo," Tommy and Kim's daughter Samantha is starting to get serious with guys. Good thing she has Tommy as a father right? Now complete!
1. Where are they now?

**Disclaimer**: I have never, nor will I ever own any part of Power Rangers, though the characters of Samantha, Rebecca, and Chris Travis, as well as Amber and Jonny Oliver are my own creations. This is just for pure fun.

**Summary:** Set five years after the end of "Forever in Limbo," Tommy and Kim's daughter Samantha is starting to get serious with guys. Good thing she has Tommy as a father right?

**Pairings:** Kim/Tommy, Samantha/OC, with mentions of Jason/Kat, Billy/Hailey, and Connor/Kira

A/N: I was re reading "Forever in Limbo" this past weekend and suddenly, the plot bunny and a muse hit me square on the head. That combined with winter break around the corner means that you will be getting a lot from me soon. It may be a little slow at first until finals are over in a few weeks, but I assure you that your patience will be rewarded.

A/N2: Yes, I am bringing this one back. I hope you stay with it as you will not be disappointed! I have made a few tweaks here and there, and I really think they make the story better. I hope you agree.

**Chapter one: Where are they now?**

If the TV show _Desperate Housewives_ ever needed another role to fill, Kimberly Oliver would be at the front of the line to play it. The stereotypical soccer mom had nothing on her. Her days were filled with soccer practices, gymnastics meets, errands, and pretty much anything else that needed to be done to sustain a household with four kids and a husband. Of course, she had been doing this for years; the only difference in the past few years was that she was doing it with a loving husband at her side, as opposed to one that cared little, if anything for her.

It had been seven years since her divorce from Chris, and life could not have been any better or sweeter for Kim. Two years after their marriage, she had given birth to their third daughter Amber and about a year after that, Tommy had finally gotten the boy that he had always wanted, who they named Jonathan Thomas Oliver, or Jonny for short. Tommy loved all of his children of course, but little Jonny was his father's pride and joy. Kim was sure that it would not be very long before their little boy was wearing a karate _gi _and being taught the martial arts by his father, as well as his uncles Jason and Rocky. Tommy was still teaching high school science, but he spent his free time, mainly during the summer at the dojo that he had recently purchased with his two best friends. Jonny adored his father and the dojo and would spend hours there with his favorite three people in the world.

Samantha and Rebecca were doing well also. Becky took up her mother's mantle and loved all things gymnastics related as well as all things pink. Tommy gave her a good natured hard time about this second thing, but she took it all in stride and gave it right back to him, saying that at least she had ONE favorite color as opposed to his multi colored wardrobe. She of course knew nothing about the reasons behind those colors.

She was twelve years old now and Kim figured it would not be long at all before she discovered boys, much to her and Tommy's chagrin. Speaking of boys, Samantha had already discovered them. At seventeen, she was a junior at Reefside High School, and coincidently, in one of her father's classes. It was because of this, that Tommy had the advantage when it came to keeping an eye on just who his daughter was hanging around with, but at the same time, it embarrassed the heck out of Samantha. There had been more than one talk between mother and daughter about this, and Kim was sure that there would be many more to follow.

And finally, there was Amber, the youngest daughter and future heartbreaker herself. She had her father's dark hair and his deep brown eyes that once turned on you, rendered you powerless and wanting to do anything she asked you to. To say she had her father wrapped around her finger would be a lie through gross understatement. She was a bit spoiled, but Kim made sure that she did not get too out of control. She would be starting Kindergarten next week and Kim was definitely not looking forward to that. After the first two, she thought it would have gotten easier, but not so much. Though she knew that with a little help from Tommy, as well as from her friends, she would see this through too. Haley and Billy's son Andy would also be starting, and would be in the same class as Amber; which thrilled the little girl to no end since she and Andy were pretty much inseparable. Rocky liked to tease his niece about her boyfriend, but more often than not, that got him a glare from both his wife Aisha and an equally fierce one from Amber. Tommy laughed at this too, but he was having enough trouble worrying about Rebecca and Samantha dating. To even think about his baby girl doing the same was just too much for him to deal with at the moment.

Kim was thinking about all of this as she drove home from a shopping trip. Becky and Samantha were at school, after which Sam would go to soccer practice, and Becky would be taken to gymnastics practice by Aisha. Kim would meet her there later. Amber was at Billy and Haley's were she would be picked up in a few hours by Tommy who had spent the day at the dojo with Jonny. So for the next hour or so, Kim had the house to herself, and with a family of five, that was a rarity indeed.

She grabbed the mail from the mailbox and was browsing through it as she walked into the house. There was the usual junk and more bills than she wanted to see, and then, there was an envelope addressed in a scrawl that she would never forget. The postmark was a Fresno one, but what would be doing in Fresno? With shaking hands, she tore open the envelope and read the one page letter.

_Kim,_

_I hope that I am correct in assuming that you would be living at this address. I still remembered it from that one time I "visited" you there. I know that this letter may come as a bit of a shock, and I am sorry for that, but there are some things that I have to tell you, to get off my chest so to speak. First, as you can probably tell by the postmark, I am no longer in prison. I made parole two weeks ago and have moved here to Fresno to start over. I have gotten a job in a local hospital as an ER orderly and hope to soon regain my medical license, though it may take quite a bit of time. I chose Fresno on purpose as I did not want to leave the state and I wanted to be close to the girls, though I figured that being in the same city would be a bit uncomfortable. Fresno was a good compromise. I know that you wanted to keep the girls away from me unless they wanted to see me, and really, after what I did, who can blame you? I know that I have given you no reason to do so, but please trust me, I am not the same person that I was when I was first incarcerated. I look back to who I was back then and I am so ashamed of myself. To think that I hurt those that I loved is something that I will carry with me the rest of my life, and I deserve it. I hear you are married to Tommy now and have two more kids. I just wanted to say, I am happy for you. I know that he gives you everything that I did not. I am not asking for anything Kim, I don't have that right, but if you or the girls ever want to contact me, my address and phone number is at the bottom of this letter. _

_Best wishes,_

_Chris_

There were so many emotions running through Kim at that moment, as she finished the letter from her ex husband. On one hand, she was happy that Chris was a new man, and a better one at that, but on the other hand, she had lived with the man for over ten years, she knew him pretty well, and knew that he was a pretty good liar. It was because of this, that she was more than a bit hesitant to believe him. She could not keep his daughters from him. They were old enough now to where they could make that choice for themselves; though she doubted that they would want to have anything to do with him. Sam still remembered the night that Kim had been beaten by Chris and how scared she had been of her own father. The nightmares had ended with help from Tommy, but the emotional scars remained.

She would have to talk this over with Tommy and get his thoughts on it. A talk with her two oldest kids may also be in the future. Taking a deep breath, she resigned herself to deal with this later and put the mail away and made ready to go and pick up Sam from soccer practice. Life sure was not boring for Kimberly Oliver these days.

**There you go the first chapter. This first one was mainly a set up explaining where (almost) everyone is now and to set the table for what will be happening later. Don't make any guesses though; I have an idea for this story that I (hope) none of you can see yet. As always, please rate and review!**


	2. Lovesick

**Disclaimer**: I have never, nor will I ever own any part of Power Rangers, though the characters of Samantha, Rebecca, and Chris Travis, as well as Amber and Jonny Oliver, as well as any other OC characters are my own creations. This is just for pure fun.

**Summary:** Set five years after the end of "Forever in Limbo," Tommy and Kim's daughter Samantha is starting to get serious with guys. Good thing she has Tommy as a father right?

**Pairings:** Kim/Tommy, Samantha/OC, with mentions of Jason/Kat, Billy/Hailey, and Connor/Kira, as well as various other couples.

**Chapter Two: Lovesick**

Samantha "Sam" Oliver was not having the best of days. To start, she had overslept yet again and ended up being late to school, again. Having to face the office staff when she had to get her late pass was bad enough, but her first class happened to be the same one that her father taught, and you did not want to be late for Dt. Oliver's class, especially when you were his daughter. Sam knew that Tommy Oliver was not her real father, but he may as well be. He had done more for her, Becky and her mother in the past seven years that Chris ever did. Sam had no reservations at all about calling her biological father by his first name, It just seemed…right. She had easily adapted to calling Tommy Dad, so this was a natural step for her.

Samantha loved her family, especially her sisters. She and Becky had gone through hell when Chris was beating her mother, so they had that in common, bringing them closer together. Sam could honestly say that her younger sister was her best friend.

Then there was Amber. Amber had come along two years after her mother married her father and Sam could already see that she and Amber were going to be just as close as she and Becky were. She adored her youngest sister, and spent as much time with her as possible.

Yes, it was a neat little family that she had. Her life had started out on the rough side, but fate was kind enough to bless her life with Tommy Oliver.

Now if only she did not have to be seen with him in a classroom setting!

Arriving at her locker finally, having just exited Spanish class, she pushed these thoughts to the back of her head as a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her slim waist. Slightly annoyed, she slapped away the offending arms. "Ben! What the hell are you doing! I told you not to show that kind of affection with me in school. You know how my father is!"

Benjamin Anders, better known as Ben to his friends and girlfriend, one Samantha Oliver laughed and pushed his long black hair from his face.

"Sorry babe, but can I help it if you are so damn sexy that I can't keep my hands off of you?"

Sam just glared at him before softening up and giving him a smile. She could rarely stay mad at him for any longer than a few minutes. She still could not believe that she was even dating him. He was the son of a well to do family, his father owned a chain of grocery stores in the area, and he himself was a star on the swim team, and Sam was just a normal girl, or so she thought though Ben told her every day that she was anything but. They had been dating for about six months, but no one knew it besides her best friend Lindsey. She was terrified of what her family, especially her father would think of him. She had a feeling that if Tommy Oliver had his way, his girls would not date until they were thirty, if then. Hence the reason she was mad at him now, she could not chance her father catching them in the halls.

"I'm sorry, but we have talked about this Ben, my father could see us, and I do not think that I am ready for that just yet."

Ben's brown eyes darkened a bit, and Sam felt just the tiniest bit of fear, but quickly pushed it down just as fast as it had arrived.

"You are not ashamed of me are you Sam?"

Sam just sighed, she could not tell if Ben's feelings were hurt or if he was really mad at her, and she really hated getting into this conversation. "No it's not that, it really isn't. It's just that, you don't know my father."

"So?" He said with the confidence that only a teenaged guy could muster. "I am great with parents. I am sure that they will love me."

In all honesty, Ben was tired of hearing about his girlfriend's father. It felt to him as though she was using him as an excuse, and nothing more. He was probably nothing to worry about and she was making him out to be more than he really was. In any case, he was determined to break through that barrier as fast as possible.

"I know baby, I know, but he is just a little bit protective of me and my sisters."

Ben leaned in and grabbed her into a tight embrace. Sam forgot about her father for a moment and let herself relax in her boyfriend's arms, sighing in contentment. Of course she had nothing to compare it to, Ben being her first relationship, but this felt so…right. Ben leaned over and whispered into her ear.

"I don't know why you are waiting for so long, but I can wait. Take your time, I will be waiting." With that, he gave her a quick kiss on the mouth and left, heading to his next class, smiling a smile that Same could not see. Yes, it would not be long at all.

Sam leaned against her locker and sighed again in contentment. She had to let this secret out, and soon, this was getting way too serious and add to the fact that she wanted to shout to the entire world about how she was so happy and the guy that had made her that way. She finally gathered her senses and walked off. She had no idea that this entire exchange with Ben had been seen by someone else, and that someone was not happy in the least. With frustrated tears threatening to spill from his eyes, Jim Matten just stared at the spot where Sam had just left, and wondered just what the hell he was going to do.

Later that night, Kim and Tommy were preparing for bed. Kim had been acting odd all night, and Tommy was determined to get to the bottom of it. But at the same time, he knew is his wife, and knew that she would tell him if anything was bothering her when she was ready. He had come home earlier that evening with their two youngest children to find Kim making dinner. He had gone to kiss her but she was unresponsive, wooden even. It reminded him of the way she was before he had married her, the way that she was when she was married to Chris.

Crap, not this again. He had worked so hard to pull her out of this, to give her the happy life that she had always deserved, and for the most part, he had succeeded. They both had what they had always wanted, and Tommy would do anything to keep it that way, to protect the family that he dearly loved. He resigned himself to a quiet dinner and told himself that he would get to the problem after dinner at the latest.

Dinner was indeed a quiet affair, which was atypical of the Oliver family. Samantha had not said a word and had just picked at her food. Tommy wondered what exactly was wrong with her, and added asking her about it to his list of things to fix. Becky was her typical chatty self, but the mood at the table was so somber, that even she quieted down eventually.

Amber and Jonny, sensing the tension, had also silently eaten their meal and said very little. Tommy figured that is was his duty, not to mention his right as the head of this family to get to the bottom of whatever was wrong and do his damndest to fix it.

He was lying in bed shirtless with a pair of green and black pajama pants and looking over his lesson plan for the next day, making sure that he had everything in line. Kim, having finished getting ready for bed, came out of the adjacent bathroom and crawled into bed next to him, not saying a word, and not curling herself around her husband like she usually did. Tommy, thinking that there was not time like the present to have this conversation, put down his papers, and pulled his wife to him. "Kim, something is wrong here, and I would really like to know what it is so I can help you.'

Kim sighed. That was her husband to a tee, always wanting to help, and she had to admit, that this was a time when she really needed his help, or his advice to be more specific. But how could she tell him that Chris, a man that had caused her and their daughters so much pain, both physically and emotionally, was out of prison, and more to the point, wanted to see them again?

In all of the years that she had known him, and been with him, she had never been able to keep anything from him, so she decided again to be up front and honest. She turned in his embrace and kissed him lightly on the lips before speaking.

"I can never keep anything from you handsome. Thank you for your concern. But I have to warn you, this may not be easy for you to hear."

He was afraid it was something like that, but he motioned for her to continue. Kim took a deep breath and plunged on.

"I got a letter from Chris today. Apparently he is out on parole and living in Fresno. He says that he is new person now and regrets everything that he did. From the sound of it, he really means it, though after living with the man for over eight years, I find that really hard to believe. He is working in an ER as an orderly and hopes to get his medical license back eventually. He says that he respects our marriage and will not push to see me or the girls."

Here Kim stopped, letting Tommy take it all in. She looked into the eyes of the man that she loved more than any other and saw for the briefest of moments anger, before the light and love that she knew so well returned to them.

"Tommy? What do you think? "

Well, this explained everything. Of course she would be acting distant after receiving a letter from her ex, abusive husband. He pulled her close and held her tight.

"What I think beautiful is that this changes little. From the sound of it, he seems to have changed for the better. Whether that is genuine or not remains to be seen. I still don't trust the man after what he did, and he will have to do quite a bit to prove that he has changed, but other than that, I saywe take it as it comes. If he does try something, we can always get the police involved again, we do know a few people in that area".

He gave a small laugh, "that is if I don't kick his ass first. I still wish I would have done that last time instead of Jason, though I know why he stopped me."

Kim kissed the top of her husband's head and snuggled deeper into his embrace. "It was the right thing to do Tommy, and I know you know that, though I would have liked to have seen that myself. As far as everything else goes, your right, we can't worry about this now. He is far enough away that he can't cause any immediate problems, and I know that you will protect us. We have nothing to worry about."

"Damn right", Tommy whispered as he flipped his sexy wife over and positioned himself over her and proceeded to show her just how much he loved her. Kim lost all conscious thought and all of a sudden, all thoughts of Chris, and anything else for that matter, disappeared from her head as she once again let her husband remind her what real love was. As for Tommy, he lost himself in the passion and forgot that he had another family problem to solve.

At the same time, Samantha was in her room talking with her best friend on the phone. "I don't know Lins, I mean, I really, really like Ben, but love? I am totally clueless when it comes to stuff like this, you know that!

"_What is there to think about Sam? Ben is cute, popular, and his family is rich! You should be thankful he picked you to date.'_

Sam loved her best friend, she really did, but it was times like this she wanted to strangle her. Was she this shallow?

"There is more to love than that Lindsey. I just don't know what that is yet.'

"_Have you told your parents yet?"_

"Are you crazy? I have not told anyone other than you yet. Mom would give me a lecture about me being too young to date, even though she was dating dad for the first time when she was younger than me. And speaking of dad, he would literally kill Ben, and I mean KILL him dead. I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse having a fifth degree black belt for a father." Sam thought back to when Tommy had first come into her life, right after Chris had beaten her mother. She reconsidered her last statement and silently thanked Tommy for having that belt.

"_Whatever Sam. I still think you are crazy for talking about all this love shit. Just be thankful that Ben is even with you and don't worry about anything else. Enjoy your life. Hey, I got to go. See you tomorrow at school."_

Sam said goodbye and hung up, wondering what to do when there was a knock on her door. Becky walked in without being invited. It was an annoying habit that no matter how much she tried; Sam could not break her of. Becky walked in and sat on the bed next to Sam. The sisters were very close and often talked late into the night about just about everything and right now, Sam could see that something was bothering her sister. "Becks? What's on your mind?"

"I'm sorry Sam, I couldn't help it."

What couldn't she help wondered Sam? "What's wrong Becky?'

I was walking past your room on the way to the bathroom and….Sam, who is Ben?"

Her blood suddenly ran cold and fear gripped her heart. Still, this was Becky, she could tell her anything, this would not be so bad, or so she hoped.

_Crap!_ Oh well, this had to happen sooner or later.

"Ben is, well I'll be honest. Ben is my boyfriend Becky."

Becky was shocked to say the least. She had never known that her older sister was interested in boys, much less dating one, but she chalked that up to her pre teen naivety. Then, another thought entered her head.

"Dad is going to kill him, and then when he is done with that, he is going to kill you!" Becky could not help it, this was a little bit exciting. She did love her sister, but she also loved a good scandal. Her parents told her time and time again to cut down on the gossip, but she just could not help it sometimes, and this was one of those times. Sam on the other hand, was less than thrilled with Becky's reaction. She threw a nearby pillow at her sister, who ducked it with ease.

"Becky! Can you please keep it down! I really do not want them knowing yet!"

"You have to tell them eventually", Becky said in a matter of fact tone. Sam just sighed.

"I am aware of that Becky; I am just trying to put if off as long as I can. I just want to make sure that it will work out between us that he feels the same way for me that I feel for him. I…I think I love him."

For the second time in less than five minutes, Rebecca Ann Oliver was blown away. Love? Even at twelve she had a hard time wrapping her mind around that concept. Well, the kind of love her sister was talking about at least. She loved her parents and her siblings, but that was where her knowledge on the subject ended. Maybe Sam knew more than she did at seventeen.

"Wow Sam. Are you sure about this? I mean, that's a pretty big step."

"I know, I know, that's why I don't want to tell mom and dad just yet, I want to make sure that this is the real thing before I risk his life, not to mention my own, meeting dad."

Becky chuckled "yeah that's a good idea. Better not take that risk unless you know for sure that he can take an interrogation from dad. If he is lucky, it will be just him and not Uncle Jason and uncle Rocky as well."

Sam shuddered at that thought. Her two uncles were almost as protective as her father; though she was grateful for it at the same time.

"Hey, is Ben that guy I always see you hanging out with at Aunt Haley's café?"

"No! God Becky no! That is just Jimmy, and he is defiantly just a friend!"

Sam was in fact a frequent visitor to the café owned by her aunt Hailey and Uncle Billy, but she made damn sure that she was never there at the same time as Ben. She did not want to take any chances as Hailey was very, very close to her parents. She just could not risk it; though Jimmy was safe enough.

"What's wrong with him?" Becky said bringing her back to the subject at hand.

"Oh Jimmy is great, don't get me wrong, but like I said, he is just a friend. I mean, he is good looking I guess, and he is really sweet, but I just can't see me dating him. Besides, I would not want to ruin our friendship."

Becky got up to leave, hugging her sister before heading toward the door. "Whatever Sam, but do me a favor if you could."

"What's that?"

"Tell me before you tell dad about Ben. I want to be sure I am there when he kills him."

Sam laughed "Brat!" again throwing a pillow at Becky's retreating form. She did raise an interesting point though. What about Jimmy? She had never thought about him in that way before. No, it was not right; he was too good of a friend, wasn't he?

Feeling more confused than ever, and not wanting to bother her mother at the moment, she had to talk to someone, and Lindsey had proven to be little to no help. So she picked up the phone and dialed a number from memory. Maybe aunt Kira would be up and willing to give her lovesick niece some much needed help.

**Alright, there is chapter two. I have a very clear idea where I am going with this, though it may take a chapter or two to get there. I will tell you this though, it is going to get dark very soon. But As always, reviews are very much welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy! **


	3. Interrogation

**Disclaimer**: I have never, nor will I ever own any part of Power Rangers, though the characters of Samantha, Rebecca, and Chris Travis, as well as Amber and Jonny Oliver, as well as any other OC characters are my own creations. This is just for pure fun.

**Summary:** Set five years after the end of "Forever in Limbo," Tommy and Kim's daughter Samantha is starting to get serious with guys. Good thing she has Tommy as a father right?

**Pairings:** Kim/Tommy, Samantha/OC, with mentions of Jason/Kat, Billy/Hailey, and Connor/Kira, as well as various other couples.

**Chapter Three: Interrogation **

Sam hung up the phone and resisted a very large urge to scream out her frustration. She had just gotten off the phone with one Kira Ford. She had begged and pleaded with the former yellow ranger for some kind of help, for some kind of solution to her predicament, but all she got was "Just wait it out. This is soooo common when you are a teen." Well, THAT was a huge help!

Sam thought that Kira would be her best bet. She had just married Connor last year and they were still in what her mother called "the honeymoon phase", meaning that they were still doing all that overly romantic stuff. That and she was not long past her teen years herself. Kira had wanted to help, but did not do much at all. After a few thousand apologies and a promise to come over for some girl time soon, she had hung up, leaving one very frustrated teen.

There was only one thing left to do, and that was to relax, not worry about it, and go on. Besides, if things got too bad, she would finally break down and talk to her mother. With yet another groan, she turned off her bedroom light and tried to go to sleep. Yeah, it was going to be a long night.

He had loved Samantha Oliver for the past seven years. Ever since she had moved to the area with her mother and sister and she had been in the same fifth grade class as he was. He had been smitten right from the very start.

He could still remember that day. He had been struggling with a particularly difficult multiplication problem, he had always had trouble with math, when the principal had brought in and introduced a shy looking, brown haired girl. He had looked up, at first annoyed at the distraction, but then she shyly smiled and it was at that moment that he was well and truly gone, down for the count. He had almost lost it when she was seated at the empty desk next to him.

He had been ten year old Sam's first friend at the school. It was hard for the shy boy to do, but he eventually gathered what little courage he had and introduced himself to her that very day at recess. At first, she seemed a little…withdrawn, like she did not want anyone to know her. Something must have happened to her, but it was none of Jimmy's business.

**Flashback:**

_Gathering what little courage he had, Jimmy made his way over to where Samantha was sitting by herself near the jungle gym. When she did not acknowledge him, he turned to face her._

"_Hello, my name's Jimmy." Using every ounce of courage in his body._

_She turned very slowly to face him, her shyness very evident on her face and gave him a small smile. _

"_I'm Samantha, but you can call me Sam if you want."_

**End Flashback**

And from that moment on, they were almost always together, even getting in trouble from time to time by passing notes during class, a problem that the teacher tried to solve by separating them, but that was solved by him developing a code system.

He knew that he wanted to spend as much time with Samantha Oliver as possible. They had their own groups of friends of course, but somehow they always ended up together. He had even been at her home when both her baby sister and baby brother were born. His parents liked to joke that he would end up marrying her one day. Truth be told, it was not a joke to him.

As they both reached the age where the opposite sex looked pretty good, he finally knew what his feeling were, he loved her. But then she had started dating other guys. Every relationship she had had gone the same way. Things would go well at first, and she would always gush to him about how great Greg, Landon, Joel, or Joshua was so great and how she loved him so much. And then at one point, sooner or later, something would happen and whatever guy she was dating would do something totally asshole like, and she would come crying to him.

He was there for her of course; he would always be there for her. He would hold her, comfort her, and assure her that everything would turn out alright, when deep down inside he wanted nothing more than to tell how he really felt. That he loved her more than his own life that she was wasting her time with all of those losers that she always seemed to end up dating. But he never did, he just gave her the best advice that he could, and continued to be her friend.

Then she had started to date Ben Anders, and for the life of him, Jimmy could not understand what she saw in him. He was athletic, cocky, and a real jerk; while she was sweet, caring and as loving as could be. Still, he was what she wanted, and Jimmy was ever the loyal friend and told her that as long as she was happy, he was happy for her. One day though, one day he would finally tell her how he felt, he just hoped that it was not too late.

Though judging by the events of today, it may already be too late for him. Still, he was not the kind of person to give up so easy. These things sometimes took some time, he would simply wait, but things were going to change. He was going to find a way to step out of the friend role, bit by bit and perhaps she would start seeing him in a different way. It was a desperate move and he may lose everything, but he was a desperate man at the moment.

Okay, you can do this Sam. This is not hard. All you are doing is inviting your boyfriend over to meet your parents. True, it was a boyfriend that they had no idea existed, but still. Ben she did not have to worry about, he would be happy to come. After all, he had expressed interest in meeting her parents anyway. That was the easy part.

The hard part was now.

Her parents were currently in the kitchen making dinner and chatting with each other. Amber and Jonny were in there as well, so at least there would not be much screaming…she hoped. Taking a deep breath, she pushed forward and entered the room.

"Samantha"! She was immediately greeted by about fifty pounds of little brother as he wrapped his arms around her legs in greating. "You look pretty"!

Sam had to laugh at this. Lately, Jonny had been calling everyone, males included, "pretty" so she took it for what it was worth, but it still made her feel pretty good.

"Thank you honey"! You look pretty too"!

Tommy grimaced at this, but said nothing, humoring his kids. Sam took this opportunity to address her parents.

"Hey Mom, hey Dad…mmm that smells great…what's for dinner? How were your days"?

All of this was said in the space of about two seconds, as Sam, in her nervous state, forgot to breath.

Kim and Tommy simply looked at each other with a look that told each other that they knew something was up with their eldest daughter, and that more than likely, they were not going to like it. Through nonverbal communication born through years of marriage, they debated who was going to handle the situation. Tommy got it. He slowly set down the spoon he had been holding and faced his eldest, crossing his arms in the process.

"Okay Samantha, what do you want"?

Straight to the point was Tommy Oliver. He knew her pretty well. Well, here goes.

"Well…you see…I AM seventeen now, and I don't know if you have noticed at school or not Dad, but I do have a lot of friends".

Tommy nodded, having some idea where this was going, but hoping against all hope that he was wrong. Sam continued.

"…and speaking of friends, well there is one boy who…well, that I am more friendly with than any of the others…"

At this, Tommy exploded.

"More friendly? Just what is that supposed to mean young lady"?

Crap that could have defiantly come out better.

"…I don't mean THAT Daddy, trust me. It's just that….well, I have a boyfriend now". This last part was said in a near whisper and Sam's parents could barely make it out. Tommy, while a bit calmer, was still steaming. Amber and Jonny looked confused. They had never seen their daddy act like that before and did not know what to make of it. Kim, ever the calm one in the family, took matters into her own hands.

"Amber, Jonny, please go upstairs and play. I will call you when dinner is ready".

That task accomplished, she went over to her angry husband and put her hand on his shoulder, seeking to calm her down.

"Tommy, she is a teenager. No matter how much you want otherwise, she is going to have an interest in boys, and yes, date them as well."

Tommy grumbled something that sounded like "horny teenage boys" but otherwise remained silent. Kim turned to a now thoroughly worried Sam.

"Is this the same boy that I see you hanging with all the time at the cyber café"?

Sam shook her head. This was the second time someone had asked her about that. Maybe she and Jimmy were putting off the wrong vibe. She would have to talk to him about that.

"No, it's not Jimmy mom. It's actually one of the most popular guys at school; Benjamin Anders."

"Anders? As in Anders' supermarket? That Ben Anders"? Wondered Kim.

"Yeah, the one and the same. Honestly, I have no idea why he even asked me out much less asked me to be his girlfriend".

This softened Tommy up quite a bit and he went over to his daughter and enveloped her into a hug.

"There is where you are wrong sweetie. He is the one that is not good enough for you, though I suppose that is me being bias. You are a beautiful young lady and I am so proud to call you my daughter".

Sam pulled reluctantly away from her father's hug, tears on her face.

"Thank you daddy. I was so worried about telling you, and I didn't for the longest time, but I just hate keeping things from you guys".

Tommy once again thanked the stars that he had such an amazing daughter.

"You have to know Princess that this is not easy for me. After all you have been through…"

He left that thought unspoken. No one needed to be reminded to the events that he was referring to.

"…after those…events, I feel the need to protect you and your siblings and mother at all costs, against anyone, and that included horny teen boys".

Kim hit him…hard on the shoulder at this.

"Tommy"!

Tommy had the good grace to look embarrassed. He would pay for that later.

"What I am trying to say is that you are my daughter, and I love you very much. I don't want to see anything bad to happen to you. Though at the same time, I know you are a normal, healthy teenage girl and with that comes….boyfriends".

Tommy said this last part like he had something bad tasting in his mouth.

Kim took this chance to chime in.

"What your father is trying to say is that we are accepting the fact that you have a boyfriend".

"But!" Tommy said interjecting, "that does not mean that we are going to let you date just anyone or make all of your choices on your own. We are still your parents, and as such, we are responsible for your well-being. Before you go on another date with whatshisname, you will bring him here for an interrogation, I mean dinner"! Tommy's slip up earned him another smack and a glare from his wife.

Sam did not like the sound of that, but it was what she expected, and it was fair.

"I love you too Daddy and you are right. It's only fair that you meet Ben. You may not believe it, but I do want your approval on him. It would make me feel better. Can I bring him to dinner tomorrow night"?

Kim said that that would be fine and Sam took this chance to leave while before she said anything stupid and ruined the whole thing. Tommy went to hug Kim to him and sighed.

"When did she grow up Beautiful"?

"Wish I knew Handsome, but like it or not she has, and we have to do the best we can to make sure she makes the right choices, and don't think you are getting away with that horny teen boy comment. You are on clean up duty tonight".

Tommy chuckled. He got off easy. His mind was already turning to dinner tomorrow anyway. He had some ideas in mind.

Ben prided himself on being one calm person, but this was different. He had told his girlfriend that he had no problems meeting her parents, but saying it and actually doing it were two different things. Still, here he was, standing in front of her front door, dressed in a pair of pressed kakis and a white polo. Telling himself that it was best to get this over with as soon as possible, he mustered all of his courage and knocked on the door.

After only a few seconds, the door was opened by a slightly dark skinned man with short black hair and wearing a red polo shirt similar to his own. He did not great Ben, but instead stood in the doorway with his arms crossed as if to prevent him from entering the house.

"Ummm, is Samantha here"? He did not know who this man was and he had to wonder if he even got the right house.

"Maybe. It depends on who is asking".

Ben extended his hand, figuring that it was best to play it safe and be polite, even though on the inside he was wonder who the heck this guy thought he was. He was here on legit terms; he had every right to be here!

"I am Benjamin Anders sir. Samantha invited me over for dinner".  
The man did not take the offered hand, but was about to say something when he was interrupted by someone on the inside.

"Uncle Jason!"

Suddenly, Samantha was there, pushing the man in red, or "Uncle Jason" as she called him, aside.

"Please don't mind him Ben. He thinks he is protecting me. Daddy just HAD to call him over".

Great, just what he needed, as if one father was bad enough. Still, he could deal with this arrogant piece of…

Sam gently guided him into the living room where another man and a petite brunette woman waited. Ben assumed that these were Sam's parents, but after the incident at the door, was inclined to err on the side of caution; though he did kind of recognize the man as one of the teachers at school. Samantha took matters in hand and guided him over to the couple.

"Mom, Daddy, this is Ben. Ben, this is Mr. and Mrs. Oliver, my parents".

Sam's mother smiled at him, and he found himself smiling and feeling welcome, despite his best efforts not to.

"It is so nice to finally meet you Ben. Sam has told us so much about you".

That was a lie seeing as they just found out about him yesterday, but he let it slide…for now. Looking around the modest house, he had the feeling that he was so much better than these people. Then again, most people were beneath him, so he thought.

Mrs. Oliver took Sam into the kitchen to put the finishing touches on dinner and to presumably do some girl talk, leaving Tommy and Jason alone with Ben. No one said anything for what seemed like hours, but in reality was only a few seconds. Finally, Tommy got up and started to make his way to the dining room, but he passed by Ben, turned to him and spoke in a simple tone.

"Hurt her in any way, and you will regret it".

That was all that he said before leaving the room, Jason following. Only ten words, but their meaning was crystal clear on the teen, and for the briefest moment, Ben felt true fear, but he pushed it down just as fast as it had come. Just who did this guy think that he was?

They had all just sat down to what looked like a delicious dinner. Becky had since joined the party, and along with Jason, completed the dinner for six. The two younger kids were sleeping over with Billy and Haley and their daughter Dawn Marie. Tommy looked over the table and Ben, getting an almost evil glint to his eye. His voice in an overly friendly tone, he picked up a platter and offered Ben the first piece of chicken.

"So Ben, what will it be? Do you prefer a breast or a thigh"?

**Okay, I had to include that last part. It is how I always imagined what I would do to my daughter's (if I ever have one) boyfriend. This story is really coming along, and I have the next few days off, so expect more than a few updates. As always, please review!**


	4. Is this what love is supposed to be?

**Disclaimer**: I have never, nor will I ever own any part of Power Rangers, though the characters of Samantha, Rebecca, and Chris Travis, as well as Amber and Jonny Oliver, as well as any other OC characters are my own creations. This is just for pure fun.

**Summary:** Set five years after the end of "Forever in Limbo," Tommy and Kim's daughter Samantha is starting to get serious with guys. Good thing she has Tommy as a father right?

**Pairings:** Kim/Tommy, Samantha/OC, with mentions of Jason/Kat, Billy/Hailey, and Connor/Kira, as well as various other couples.

A/N: Warning! There is some pretty graphic/violent scenes in this chapter, so please keep that in mind. Also, things start to become a lot more clear in this chapter.

**Chapter Three: Is this what love is supposed to be?**

_"So Ben, what will it be? Do you prefer a breast or a thigh"?_

The question posed to Ben was completely serious. Mrs. Oliver looked like she was about to murder her husband while Jason and Becky looked like they would burst into laughter at any moment. Sam on the other hand, looked horrified.

_Who does this guy think he is? Does he really think I am that stupid? This is obviously a trick to see what I will say. Whatever, I will play along with his little games._

"Actually Mr. Oliver, I would prefer a wing instead if you don't mind".

_There, that should shut him up and end his little game_, thought Ben with an inward smirk.

Tommy had to admit to himself that he was a little thrown back by the young man's answer. He had thought that his plan was foolproof. Then again, he had thought it up with the help of Jason, whose plans did sometimes have a tendency to backfire. Still, he was not going to go down without a fight. Was that a slight smirk on that kid's face?

He smiled and handed Ben his requested piece of chicken and sat down in his own chair at the head of the table; time for plan B, one that might very well earn him a few nights sleeping on the couch.

"So Ben tell me, just how serious are you with my daughter and what are you intentions toward her"?

Silence. Tommy gave a self-satisfied grin to the boy. He had gone and done it. Not only had he gotten right to the heart of the matter, but he had succeeded in embarrassing him as well. The only bad part being that he had also done the same to his daughter, and most likely his wife as well.

Jason was wearing the same smile that Tommy had and had the added benefit of not having his wife in the same room to get him in trouble, though Kim would most certainly make sure to fix that problem before the night was out.

Rebecca looked conflicted. On one hand, she was sympathetic to her sister's plight, but on the other…well it was pretty darn funny. She looked like she was trying to hold back her laughter and was not doing a very good job of it.

Kim looked positively livid. She was upset at her husband for being so rude, but on the other hand, as a parent, she was curious as to what Ben would say to his question. Still, that did not excuse Tommy's behavior, and she fully intended on making sure he knew of her anger later. "The wrath" had been dormant in recent years, but it was due to make a full comeback, and her on her husband's face seemed like a good place to start.

For her part, Samantha looked like she wanted to find the nearest hole and crawl into it, never to return. How could her father ask such a thing? Sure, she knew that he loved her and wanted to make sure that she was safe, but there were limits! How could he ask such a thing and embarrass her so much? She just knew that Ben would hate her after this and never want to see her again. This was the absolute worse that could happen! It was time to do some damage control.

"Ben I am so sorry. You don't have to…"

Ben just held up his hand and stopped her in mid-sentence.

"No Sam, he asked me a question, and I will oblige him".

Ben said the last part of this in such a sarcastic and condescending tone that it actually shocked everyone at the table into silence. Ben was tired of this charade. Her father had tried to make it seem as though he had some control over him, and he did not like that one bit. No one was above him, no matter who they were. Ben decided right then and there to put this guy in his place.

"You asked a fair question TOMMY and I will answer. I am very serious with your daughter, not that it is any of your business. As to what my intentions are, that is also none of your business, and I will ask you with all due RESPECT to keep your nose out of business that is not your own".

With that, Ben let his smirk come fully out and continued eating as though nothing happened. Tommy on the other hand, was not so docile.

Breathing deep breaths to attempt to calm himself, he stood up from his seat, walked behind a stunned Kim and Rebecca and made his way to where Ben was seated, barely registering that Jason was right behind him.

When he reached the place where the teen still sat eating calmly, he grabbed him by the collar and yanked him out of the chair, kicking the chair as he did so. With Jason still behind him and Samantha protesting loudly over the rough treatment of her boyfriend, he no so gently forced the boy to the front door, which had been conveniently opened by a smiling Jason, and with all the energy he could muster, threw him outside.

"From now on BENJAMIN, you are not to get anywhere near my daughter? Are we clear"?

Ben pulled himself up off of the ground, dusting himself off. He looked to the doorframe and saw his girlfriend's father looking all the world like he would like any excuse to end his life, with "Uncle Jason" right behind him. He had a choice to make. He could save what little of his dignity remained by apologizing and hope that he would be allowed to see Sam again soon. Or he could insult the man and see Sam whether they wanted him to or not.

He chose the second option.

"Well then Tommy boy. You have made your point clear, but I will say this though. Your daughter loves me and I highly doubt that you can keep us apart very long. Good luck trying".

Ben smiled at a tearful Sam who was trying to get past her father to him, but was being restrained by Jason.

"See you soon babe"! and with that, Ben got into his car and speed out of the driveway, making sure he made as much noise as possible.

It had been a long night in the Oliver house. After Ben left, Sam had immediately launched herself at her father, pounding ineffectively against his well-muscled chest.

"You had no right! Why did you have to be so violent? That is SO like you"!

For his part, Tommy let her vent at him, letting her get it all out, saying nothing. She finally got tired and turned away from him, hanging her head as she did so. Thank you Tommy, you just alienated the only boy that even cared about me", and then without so much as a look at Tommy or the rest of the family, she went upstairs to her bedroom, slamming the door as she did so.

Tommy, stung by Sam calling him by his first name, something she had not done in many, many years, just looked to Kim for some kind of explanation. She said nothing, only shaking her head and walking back to the kitchen.

"Kim".

"No Tommy. This is not the time or place. We will talk later".

Tommy was left standing in the foyer wondering just when the hell the world had gone so wrong. Jason clapped his friend on the shoulder and gave a sympathy squeeze.

"For what it's worth bro, you showed more self-restraint that I would have. While I agree with what you did, you do still have a lot of repair work to do".

Jason turned to follow Kim back into the dining room, at least wanting to finish his meal.

Yes, it was going to be a long night indeed.

"You did not have to do it Tommy"!

It was four hours later and Kim was still fuming over the events of that night's dinner as she got ready for bed. She changed into sweatpants and one of Tommy's old shirts. She may be pissed at her husband, but that did not mean that she couldn't steal and wear his clothes.

"Didn't have to do it? Kim did you hear what he said to me? He pretty much told me that my daughter's life was none of my business! And the tone he used. I have heard more respect coming from Goldar"!

Kim sighed and plopped down on the huge king sized bed that she shared with her husband, clearly frustrated.

I'm not arguing that point Tommy, you had every right to be upset, and I will agree with you that he should not be anywhere near Sam, but the way you handled it Tommy. I…I just don't like how violence was your first reaction. It's too close to…"

She stopped, unable to go further due to the tears that were starting to spill down her face. Tommy, knowing exactly where she was going, immediately went to her side and pulled her into a gentle embrace.

Hey now, there is no need to worry about that at all Beautiful. I am so sorry for the way I handled it now that I know how you feel. You have no idea how sorry I am. It's just that…when it comes to our kids, I am very protective, to a fault even".

Kim chuckled to herself. That was Tommy alright, and she was mostly grateful for his strong protective instincts, but tonight, tonight was too close to…well a certain person and events of a few years ago. Letting go of her grief, she buried herself into her husband's strong embrace and cried, letting it all out.

"Will this ever leave us Tommy? Will I ever be free of him"?

Tommy did not have to ask who "him" was. He knew all too well. He just rocked the love of his life gently back and forth, trying his best to offer her what comfort he could.

"I promise you that you will Beautiful, no matter what it takes, I will make sure that you are happy for the rest of your life".

They stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity, but was really only a few minutes. Their silence was shattered by a sudden and very loud pounding at the front door.

_One hour earlier:_

Sam did not care what her parents thought. She knew Ben, and knew that he was not the jerk that her parents made him out to be. Sure, what he said tonight was pretty out there, but he was human right? He was entitled to make mistakes. Her parents could not see that, but she certainly could.

She loved her parents, she really did, and despite that she had called her father by his first name that night, she was happy to have him around, even with his over protective nature. She had regretted calling him Tommy almost instantly. The hurt and pain that she saw on his face was almost enough to make her apologize right then and there and hug him close to her.

But Samantha Oliver was stubborn, a trait that she was told by her Uncle Jason that she got from her mother.

Now, here it was, 9pm and she was about to do something she had never done before. She was sneaking out of her house. A few minutes ago, she had gotten a text message from Ben imploring her to meet him at the park a few blocks from her house. She had hesitated at first, because she really was a good girl, but something in her had just snapped and she had agreed to the meeting. Besides, Ben had to know that her father meant well.

Ben paced, anxious to see his girlfriend. Where the hell was she? She had responded to his request to meet fifteen minutes ago, and he did not like to be kept waiting. He was still pissed at the events of that evening. He was not used to being treated like that and he swore he would find a way to get even with Tommy Oliver.

Finally he saw the petite form of Sam coming towards him in the distance. Finally, he was going to let her know how he felt, and that her father could not get away with what he did tonight. What she did not know however was that she was not nearly as special to him as she thought she was. He was Benjamin Anders for God's sake! He could have any girl he wanted, but he was having fun playing around with Samantha, she was good for his ego. Was it his fault that she read into it more than she should? Ben did not think so, in fact, it just showed her ignorance all that much more.

But now it was time for everything to become crystal clear.

Sam reached him, a smile on her face.

"Hey babe, I'm so happy that you texted me. After tonight, I thought…"

She stopped mid-sentence when she saw the look on her boyfriend's face. She had never seen that much….was that hate? on his face before, and it started to scare her. She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Ben, what's wrong. Is this about my father"?

Ben roughly shoved her hand off of him and turned to look her right in the eye.

"Your father? Now that's a joke. You told me yourself that he is not your real father, just some guy your slut of a mother cheated on with before her divorce was even final. Yeah, what a man he is"!

Sam stood there in complete and utter shock. Not only because of what Ben said, but because she had no idea how he could have known that. She had never told him that information.

Her shock surly showing on her face, she started to stammer.

"How…"

He gave a short mocking laugh.

"How did I know that? It's simple Samantha my dear. You see, my father and your father, your REAL father were best friends, still are in fact, and I heard what Tommy did to your father and even at that young age, it made me sick".

He paused here for a moment for effect, letting his words sink in. Then he let loose with what he knew would hurt her the most.

"I never loved you. I barely like you. You are just a plaything for me. Think of it as my kind of revenge on your BLOOD father's behalf". He paused again and laughed.

"You are just as worthless as your tramp mother you know that"?

Something inside of Samantha snapped, her blood starting to boil. The things that Ben, the boy that she thought loved her, were cold, merciless, and really, really cruel. She was never a violent person, but she DID spent the past few years watching Tommy, an accomplished black belt train, and she did pick up a few things. Her anger getting the best of her, she reared back and swung a nasty right hook aimed right at Ben Ander's nose.

It never connected.

Ben caught her by the wrist and gave it a violent twist, and she was sure that she heard bones break, making her cry out in pain.

"You stupid bitch, do you honestly think that you can do ANYTHING to me? Yoy are nothing"!

He spat in her face and before she could register the spittle landing on her forehead, Ben reared back his own right arm and….

Darkness.

Jimmy was having a good night. He had spent some time studying at a friend's house and he was feeling pretty accomplished at the moment. He was finally making headway in a unusually difficult chemistry assignment and life was good. He had finally called it quits a few minutes ago, wanting to get home at a semi decent hour. He had bid his friend goodbye and started his walk home. He did not live far away, only about six blocks or so, and the night was warm, so the walk was really no big deal.

He was almost home when the sound of raised voices coming from the direction of the park caught his attention. Curious, he detoured toward the sound and was soon confronted with a scene that he wished he did not have to see. There was Sam Oliver being yelled at by…was that her boyfriend Ben? Not wishing to call attention to himself, Jimmy hid behind a nearby bush and just watched.

He was too far away to make out exactly was being said, but her caught a few words here and there. Father, revenge, slut. Wow, this was not good. Of course he had always known that Ben was not good enough for Sam, but right here was the proof. Maybe after this, he could finally make her see that for herself. He was on the verge of leaving when he saw her lash out at Ben and Ben subsequently catching her arm. He gave a twist, said something else, and then….

What happened next would be burned into Jimmy's brain as long as he lived. Ben had just spit on that same beautiful face that Jimmy had so long adored and then punched her hard on that same flawless face. She crumpled easily to the sidewalk and Jimmy prayed that the sound that he had just heard was not the one of her head hitting the ground.

Ben was not done though. He kicked her in the side a few times and stomped on her left hand before spitting on her again.

"_I swear I will kill you for this Ben"_, thought Jimmy. _"I don't care how long it takes or if I die in the process, you will pay for what you have done to her"._

In the span of just seconds, Ben had caused the one person Jimmy loved most in the world more pain than she ever deserved, and Jimmy was angry beyond words.

Finally satisfied that she was not going to get up, Ben kicked her one more time and set off away from the park at a jog.

When he was satisfied that Ben was gone, Jimmy came from behind the bush and ran toward Samantha. When he got close enough to see her clear, he almost vomited. Her beautiful face, one that he had often longed to touch, was swollen on the side where she had been hit. Her nose and mouth were bleeding and he was pretty certain that there would be a few teeth missing as well. Her right wrist was swollen, probably broken from where Ben had twisted it, and her left hand was a swollen lump from where he had stomped on it.

Knowing that he needed to get her help as soon as possible, and also knowing that she would not regain consciousness anytime soon, Jimmy kneeled down beside her.

"Don't worry Sam, I'm here for you. Ben is gone and I am going to get you some help".

He very gently scooped her up in his arms, made sure that she was secure, and started a slow but steady pace away from the park and to safety. He wanted to go faster, but could not risk hurting her even more than she already was.

There was only one place he could think to take her. The place that was the closest and where she could get the help that she needed the fastest. He just hoped that Tommy and Kim Oliver did not mind being loudly woken up at this late hour.

Looking at the bloody bundle he was carrying, he doubted it.

_**Okay, I warned you that this was going to be a rough chapter. If you saw some similarities between this chapter and "Never in Limbo", that was the point. Like I said, this was the chapter where things start to come together. Thank you all for your patience with this story, and please, if you feel so inclined, please review!**_


	5. Sticks and Stones

**Disclaimer**: I have never, nor will I ever own any part of Power Rangers, though the characters of Samantha, Rebecca, and Chris Travis, as well as Amber and Jonny Oliver, as well as any other OC characters are my own creations. This is just for pure fun.

**Summary:** Set five years after the end of "Forever in Limbo," Tommy and Kim's daughter Samantha is starting to get serious with guys. Good thing she has Tommy as a father right?

**Pairings:** Kim/Tommy, Samantha/OC, with mentions of Jason/Kat, Billy/Hailey, and Connor/Kira, as well as various other couples

**Chapter five: Sticks and Stones**

_Just keep it up, steady now. You are almost there. You can do it. _These were the words that Jimmy was chanting to himself as he carried his bloody bundle. It was only about three blocks away, but it seemed as though it was three miles. It had been mere minutes since he had witnessed the brutal beating of Samantha Oliver and she had barely stirred since he had picked her up, only moaning once or twice. Jimmy tried his hardest not to look too much at her. If he did, his heart would be broken even more than it already was. For someone to do something like this in the first place was bad enough, but to someone that they supposedly loved? He simply could not wrap his mind around it.

He was getting tired. He was not in bad shape to start with and Sam was a tiny girl, but his fast pace was starting to get to him. He had only two things on his mind…to get her to safety and then find Ben and beat the holy hell out of him. He knew that he would get pretty hurt in the process, but Sam was worth it.

He finally reached his destination, nearly collapsing in front of the Oliver's front door, spent from his work. He took a brief moment to wipe a strand of Sam's hair from her face, kissing her on the forehead. _You are safe now Sam. I told you I would get you here. _Mustering what little strength he had left, he started kicking the front door hard. He could have knocked, but he did not want to risk putting down his still unconscious bundle. _Please, please let them answer soon!_

* * *

Tommy had just enjoyed a very touching moment with his wife. Promising her the world, which is something that he pretty much did on a daily basis, not that he minded. He sometimes wondered why the heck it took him so long to get back with her, but that was water under the bridge as Kim liked to say. They were together now, and that was all that mattered, and Tommy could not agree more.

The events of the evening had been forgotten, or at least pushed aside for the moment. He was putting his best moves on his wife, hoping to "get lucky' that night when the sound of a very loud pounding pierced the calm. It sounded like it was coming from the front door. It sounded as though someone was KICKING his front door. Glancing at his alarm clock, Tommy groaned. _Who the hell could be here at 10:30 and why the hell are they not knocking like a normal person? _Immediately, Tommy went into defensive mode. No one came this late and in such a hurry unless something was wrong.

He sprang into action, giving Kim one last kiss. "I'll take this Kim. You stay up here and make sure that this racket is not scaring the other kids". Kim nodded. Becky would be fine of course, but her two younger children may be scared. "Go Tommy. It sound pretty damn important".

Pausing just long enough to pull on a white t shirt, he ran down the steps, taking them two at at time and almost skidded to a stop in front of the door and hitting his left big toe on it. Cursing a bit he let the pain pass and then opened the door.

Never in a million years was he prepared for what he saw. His little girl, his angel, was unconscious and bloody in the arms of her best friend Jimmy. Anger flared instantaneously. Had he hurt her and then have the nerve to bring her here and show her off?

"What the….."

Tommy did not finish. Jimmy interrupted him, and from his breathless tone, Tommy could tell that he was exhausted.

"Mr. Oliver! It's Sam, she has been hurt!

Jimmy knew that he was stating the obvious, but in his weakened state, he could barely think of anything else. "It was not me, I swear!"

Taking a second look at the boy, Tommy was forced to agree. He looked exhausted as if he had carried her here himself over a great distance. He had to give him respect for that alone. His senses cleared, he jumped into action once again. He sprang forward and took his daughter from the boy, bringing her inside so he could get a better look at her.

He cradled her carefully in his arms and brought her to the living room to lay her on the couch, not caring that her blood would horribly stain the white fabric. Meanwhile, Kim had come downstairs to check on Tommy. She was also curious as to who their late night visitor was. She saw the open door and the strange sight of a teen boy that she did not know struggling to catch his breath. She was going to check on him, but wanted to talk to Tommy first. Assuming that he was in the living room, she made her way there.

"Tommy, the other kids are fine, a little confused, but alright. But Sam isn't…"

She never finished her sentence. The sight before her made her want to throw up. There was Tommy, kneeling in front of her couch and trying his hardest to convince his older daughter to wake from unconsciousness. Time seemed to stop for her. Her eyes lost focus and suddenly she did not see Tommy and Samantha; but Tommy and herself. SHE was the one that was lying bloody and unconscious with Tommy tending to her. The only thing missing was Adam tending to her as well. Fighting the urge to swoon, she would NOT do that now, her daughter needed her. She went to Tommy's side. They would handle this together. Neither one of them noticed that Jimmy had crept off silently. He had other things to do.

Tommy, tears in his eyes, looked up at her. She could clearly see the pain in his eyes. "She will not wake up Kim. From what I can tell, she has at least one black eye and God knows how many broken bones. Just what the hell happened here?"

"No idea. I was just checking on the kids and noticed that she was missing. She must have snuck out".

Tommy shook his head as to clear out the cobwebs there. We can't think about how it happened now Kim. Right now she needs us, she needs help. Call Jase and ask him to come over to watch the kids. I will get the car. We have to get her to the hospital". He got up and ran out the door, and soon Kim could hear the sounds of the jeep starting. She kissed her daughter's forehead before pulling out her cell to call Jason.

Jimmy had never been in a fight in his entire life. He hated violence of any kind, so he avoided it whenever he could. But now, now was different. Samantha Oliver, the one girl that he really, truly cared for, had been hurt, and he could not let that go. Ben was bigger and stronger than he was, but he really did not care. There were some things that were worth getting hurt for, and Sam was one for him. He had loved her since grade school and had always been to scared to do anything about it, but tonight had changed everything.

It was tonight, seeing her hurt so bad that he finally realized just how much he cared for her, and it had taken Ben beating her and showing him just what love wasn't. He now fully knew what he felt for her, and he vowed to tell her as soon as he could.

But first he had to draw some blood from Ben.

* * *

He had a pretty good idea where he was. Thugs like him rarely spent a weekend night at home studying. Ben and his cronies gathered at another park, not far from Haley's. It was closed at night but that of course did not stop them. Jimmy hoped that Ben would be there alone so he did not have to deal with his friends.

No such luck. Ben was there alright. He and about three of his friends were gathered around a jungle gym passing around a brown paper bag, and Jimmy highly doubted that the bottle inside of it was filled with Kool-Aid. Taking a deep breath and gathering his courage, he charged forward.

"Hey Anders"!

Ben was caught by surprise. He had not expected Jimmy Matten to arrive, Still, he hid it well. Smirking to his friends, he handed off the bottle and walked toward Jimmy.

"What do you want Jimmy boy"?

"I saw what you did tonight. To Sam".

Another smirk. He was a cocky bastard.

"So? That bitch deserved it after what her father did to me tonight".

Jimmy did not know what had happened earlier, but he really did not care. There was no excuse for what he had done. None at all.

"So her father does you wrong and you take it out on her? She is what? Ninety pounds? Hey isn't her father pretty well build and a something degree black belt? Yeah, big man Anders. You better hope he does tear into your ass for what you did to his daughter".

He was speaking with far more courage than he was actually feeling, but it felt kind of good. Ben, for his part, showed no fear. One of his buddies started forward to confront Jimmy, but Ben held him back, wanting to handle this himself.

"Why the hell do you care Jim Bob? What? Do you loooooove her?" Ben said this in a mocking tone that made Jimmy sick, and he had had enough. Without responding, he ploughed his fist straight into Ben's nose. Blood spurted out and Jimmy had the satisfaction of knowing that he had broken his nose as well as the element of surprise, but that did not last long. Ben soon went on the attack, and the fight was on.

* * *

Pain. That was all that she felt. It seemed to be taking over her entire body. She had no idea where she was. There was only darkness around her. She heard voices. Strange voices. She heard things like _broken jaw_, _orbital fracture,_ _broken ribs,_ and _black eye_. Where they taking about her? What the heck had happened? It was not too much longer before she heard more familiar voices. Her mother and…..DADDY! Her hand was being held and she could tell that she was lying in a bed, most likely a hospital bed. With strength that she did not know that she had, she slowly opened her eyes; something that did not go unnoticed.

"Kim! She is awake! Thank God sweetie how are you feeling"?

That was Tommy…her daddy. He was here with her and that meant more to her than anyone would ever know. "Daddy…so….so sorry".

Tommy silenced her with a shush. "No baby. Don't. You have no reason to be sorry. It's my fault".

His fault? How did he figure that? Tommy, still holding her hand kissed her forehead, and she could not help but notice the tears in his eyes. "I failed….I failed to protect you Sam. I should have seen what was coming and…."

So that was it. Tommy's protective nature was showing itself in full force. She would have fought him, argued with him about it, but she simply did not have the strength to do so.

Kim, sitting on the other side of her daughter and holding her other hand, also had tears in her eyes. The scene before her touched her. Her husband was laying it all out, barring his soul to a teenage girl that was his in all but blood. He thought that he had failed her by not protecting her, which was something that Kim knew all too well. He had done the same thing with her ten years previously. He had a overprotective nature and it was one of the many reasons why she loved him so much. But right now, right now, she had no idea how to feel. Her baby girl had been hurt by someone…though she had a pretty good idea who, and she had never felt so helpless. She wanted so bad to take her into her arms and comfort her, to erase every bad thing that had happened to her, but she knew that this was impossible. She settled instead on another thing that mothers were good at…questioning their kids.

"Honey, do you have any idea on who did this to you"?

Sam was about to answer, though she was hesitant to do so. Even though he had hurt her so bad, there was part of her that still wanted to protect Ben. However, she was saved from having to do so by a new voice that came from the door to her hospital room.

"Ben Anders Mr. and Mrs. Oliver. He did this to her".

Both Tommy and Kim whipped their heads around at the sound of the voice. Sam, who recognized the voice, turned, and smiled at the new person in the room.

Jimmy was leaning against the doorway, as if he needed it to support himself. He had a black eye that looked as though it would soon rival Samantha's, a split lip that was leaking blood, and a few bruises, but he looked fine otherwise. Tommy, having been in a few fights himself, could tell that the kid had taken a beating; Jimmy moved into the room and made his way with an unsteady gate to Samantha's bedside. Her parents, having no idea what was going on. They had of course seen him at their front door when he had brought Sam home, They of course knew him as one of Samantha's best friends, but never expected something like this from him. They made room for him at her bedside, just watching as he sat down next to her.

"I saw what he did tonight Sam. I was walking home and I saw what he did to you. I am so sorry that I didn't stop it, but it all happened so fast. I….I had to watch him hurt you and it is not something that I will ever forget. You did not deserve that Sam, and I did nothing to stop it".

Sam said nothing, just listening to everything that Jimmy was telling her. Here he was asking her forgiveness for not protecting her, the second person that night to do so, and yet….yet there was something about him that she could not quite remember. Then, it hit her.

"You took me home didn't you Jim? You carried me all the way home".

Jimmy smiled, though it caused his mouth to hurt even more. She always could make his smile.

"Yeah I did. I had to get you out of there. The only thing I could think of was to get you home, to safety. Looks like I did okay".

Sam smiled again. "Yeah I would say you did". She all of a sudden realized how hurt he really was. She reached up and touched him gently on the face.

"What happened to your face Jimmy"? She said, concern in her voice.

Her touch hurt him like hell, but he was not about to tell her that. He had been waiting forever to have her concerned for him, to speak to him with genuine concern that he made no move to pull her hand away.

"Like I said, I saw him hurt you. I couldn't just let him get away with that Sam. I had to make him hurt as much as he hurt you".

Tommy's respect for this kid grew even more, He did not have the look of a fighter, but he had gone out and did what Tommy himself had wanted to, and still wanted to do, and by the looks of it, he had taken a few licks. He just hoped that he got a few in himself. Even so, he thought he may have to give him some tips either way.

As if reading his thoughts, Jimmy continued speaking to Sam.

"I found him and his boys at their usual spot and confronted him. I got the first blow in and broke his nose before he started fighting back. He got me a few times, but in the end, I left him lying on the ground unconscious. I'm lucky though, he was drunk, so he was not as coordinated as he usually is. I just…I just could not let him get away with that Sam. He hurt you and….well I wish this was a better time for me to tell you this, but I care for you. More as a friend. I have been meaning to tell you this forever, and I am sorry that it took something like this to tell you, but…he had to pay Sam"!

Sam was touched. Other than Tommy and her mother, no one had ever been so concerned for her well-being. And now…now Jimmy was telling her these sweet things. Of course she had known in some kind of way how he felt, she just had never thought of him that way; not completely at least. But now she had to reevaluate things. Ben, who she had thought she loved had beaten her nearly to death and did not care at all about her. He had not shown her any proof of his so called love.

But Jimmy, who had been her best friend for years, and had loved her from afar for who knows how long, had in one simple, sweet act, shown her what love was. He had made sure that she was taken care of, that her needs were met, and he had also gone and defended her. She was suddenly overwhelmed. She had no idea what to do, so she did the first thing that she could think of. She reached her non damaged hand up, grabbed him by back of the head, pulled it closer to her, and kissed him, gently as not to hurt him any more than he already was.

Tommy and Kim stood back and watched, their mouths dropped in shock. This was the last thing that either of them had expected. Their daughter had been through hell tonight, but yet here she was kissing her best friend. Tommy knew that he should be upset and protective, but there was something about this kid that made him feel a bit easier.

The kiss ended and Jimmy looked like he had been in another round of Ben pounding on him. His mouth hurt like hell, but he did not care. He had just kissed Samantha Oliver, nothing else mattered. Suddenly, he was painfully aware that he had kissed her right in front of her parents. One of which was a very accomplished martial artist, and after what had happened tonight, he would not blame her father if he beat the holy hell out of him.

"Mr. Oliver….".

Tommy just held out his hand. "Relax kid. I saw what happened both here and at the house. You saved her, and I obviously have no problems with that. I should actually be thanking you".

Jimmy, relief coming over him, sat down next to Sam, taking her hand in his. This night was getting better and better. Sam, who was also feeling a bit better, smiled at her parents, wanting to reassure them.

"Mom, Dad, you remember Jimmy". She turned her smile on him, wondering what the hell had stopped her from seeing what a great guy he was. "I have been a fool for treating him the way that I have been. I am just thankful he was there tonight when he was," She then addressed Tommy. "Daddy, I'm sorry I called you by your first name tonight. I…"

Again, Tommy interrupted her. "It doesn't matter sweetheart. I know you didn't mean it. It's completely normal, so don't worry about it".

Sam just nodded and turned her attention back to Jimmy. She kind of liked the way that he was holding her hand, she could actually get used to this.

Tommy and Kim, seeing their daughter so comfortable, made their way out of the room, They would give them some time alone while they took a break. They took a seat in the hall and let out a huge sigh of relief.

"We need to go to the police Kim. This Ben kid has to pay for what he did. Jimmy did alright, but he needs to face some kind of legal actions as well. I wish like hell I could have done what Jim did, the kid held his own".

Kim could do nothing but agree. She liked Jimmy. He seemed like an nice kid, and she hoped that he could make her baby happy. There was one thing that was on her mind though, and she had to tell Tommy, though he may not like it.

"I agree, we should get the police involved, but there is one more thing I think that we need to do…for Sam's sake".  
"What's that"?

Kim took a deep breath and faced her husband.

"We need to call Chris. He needs to know about this".

**A/N: There is chapter five! I am so sorry that it has taken so long for this to come out, but it will be finished, and soon! I have already started the next chapter, which by the way, is the last, and it should be out in the next few weeks. Again, so sorry for the delay, and I hope that you are all still with me! As always, reviews make my day!**


	6. The End of Limbo

**Disclaimer**: I have never, nor will I ever own any part of Power Rangers, though the characters of Samantha, Rebecca, and Chris Travis, as well as Amber and Jonny Oliver, as well as any other OC characters are my own creations. This is just for pure fun.

**Summary:** Set five years after the end of "Forever in Limbo," Tommy and Kim's daughter Samantha is starting to get serious with guys. Good thing she has Tommy as a father right?

**Pairings:** Kim/Tommy, Samantha/OC, with mentions of Jason/Kat, Billy/Hailey, and Connor/Kira, as well as various other couples

**Chapter Six: The End of Limbo**

The night could not end soon enough for Ben Anders. What had started out so easy had quickly deteriorated into the living hell that he was currently living. Everything had been going so well. He had stood his ground at Samantha's house and had the added bonus of getting one up on her strict father. He then had the chance to teach Samantha herself a lesson that she so desperately needed. Okay, maybe had had gone a bit too far, but still, the bitch deserved it. She thought that she was so much better than him, that her entire family was better. Well, he had shown her hadn't he? She would not soon forget her place in the world, not to mention her family's.

Not once did it cross his mind that what he did was wrong, much less criminal. In his mind, what he did was entirely justified, and deserved at that. He was almost sure that Sam would be too scared to say anything and the only other person to see the beating was…

Shit! There was that Jimmy kid to deal with. The person who was responsible for the situation that he was currently in….staggering home with a broken nose and a black eye, along with a few cuts, all of which Ben vowed to pay that little puke back for. There was a chance that Jimmy could tell someone and there could be trouble, but he was not worried too much about that. He had money, he had power, he had influence. He could get through pretty much anything with those. Jimmy would look like a fool when he skated right through these problems, and he would look even worse after Ben beat the holy hell out of him.

He was almost home, clutching his shirt, which he had taken off, to the large gash on his forehead when he felt more than saw the red and blue lights flashing behind him.

_And here is begins_

He slowed, but never stopping, wanting the cop to actually earn this arrest. The car eventually stopped and a single officer exited the passenger side to start walking beside him. Still, Ben never stopped walking.

"Benjamin Anders"?

Finally, Ben stopped, giving the cop a contemptuous look as he held his bloody shirt to his head.

"What the hell do you want"?

"Are you Benjamin Anders"? Asked the cop who was looking a lot less friendly at Ben's tone.

"Yeah. So"?

In response to this question, the cop pulled out a pair of handcuffs, placing them on Ben's wrists before reading him his rights. When that little chore was done, he led him to the back of the car and placing him in…a little harder than usual. Officer Rocky DeSantos smiled to himself. If he got into trouble for that little incident it would be well worth it. Tommy would have approved, and besides, he knew a good lawyer.

* * *

Tommy looked at his wife in disbelief. Did she just say what he thought that she did? She wanted to bring her ex-husband…her abusive ex-husband to speak with their daughter who had just suffered the same kind of beating that he had put on Kim years ago.

"No, uh uh. No way is that going to happen Kim. He is not getting anywhere near her"!

Kim had expected this of course. Even she had to admit that her plan was a bit out there, but deep down, she knew that this was what was best for Samantha. She just had to convince Tommy of that.

"Look, let me explain Tommy. I know it seems out there, but I really think that she needs this, they both do. I am guessing that Sam suffered the same kind of beating I did, maybe for the same kind of reasons. In some sick way, this has come full circle. She needs to hear from Chris why he did what he did and that what happened to her was not right, and more importantly, that she did NOT deserve it"!

He almost hated to admit it, but Kim had a point, a good one. But the thought of that monster getting near his baby girl…he was not convinced in the least that he was reformed. He had a tough choice to make but it all came down to Samantha's well-being. Kim was right, she had to know that it was not her fault. He let out a deep breath.

"Your right Kim, but I don't like it. He hurt her and you pretty bad and I can't let him have that chance again". He held up his hand as Kim started to protest.

"But, you are also right that she has to hear this kind of thing from him. If he is willing to do it, he can, but I do not want him alone in there with here. I want to be in there and either you or Jase as well".

Kim smiled. That was the man that she married.

"Of course Tommy; I agree, and I would not have it any other way. Chris sent his phone number with that last letter. Is it alright if I go give him a call now? The sooner the better?

Tommy nodded, and Kim kissed his cheek as she made her way of the hospital to place the call on her cell. He gave a silent prayer that this nightmare would end soon and his family would come out of it intact.

* * *

Chris had never expected this to be happening. Two hours ago, Kim had called him and filled him in on the situation with Samantha. A multitude of emotions came through him at once. Grief, shame, remorse, and of course anger. She had told him every single detail and it was not hard for Chris to see the eerie similarities. The attack was almost a mirror image of his own on Kim, and if what Kim had told him was true, it was pretty much for the same reason as well.

When she told him of her idea for him to come and speak to her, he almost didn't. He was too scared and ashamed to do so. How must Samantha look at him now? Would she reject him? Refuse to see him? He was not certain that he could deal with that right now, and of course, there was Tommy to think about too. Kim had told him that he had insisted on being in the room, and really, Chris could not blame him, especially after what he had done. He would have to deal with his presence at the same time he was trying to talk to his daughter who very well may hate his guts.

In the end, he decided to do it, and here he was now, standing right outside of her hospital room looking in. Tommy and Kim were already in there along with a boy that looked to be about Sam's age holding her hand. Chris assumed that he was her boyfriend, and he looked pretty rough as well, there was probably a story behind that as well. Taking a deep breath, he made his presence known.

"Hey Swe…Samantha". He had almost called her sweetie, but figured that he did not have that right. "How are you feeling"?

Sam looked at this strange man in confusion. She had no idea who he was, though her parents seemed to. She was about to ask them who he was when her mother beat her to it.

"Sam, in case you don't remember, this is your father…your blood father". Kim has wanted to say sperm donor, but thought better of it.

Realization came all at once to Sam, along with the horror.

"What"?

Chris sighed. This was not good. He had to fix this and fast. He and sat on the other side of the bed and refrained himself from taking her hand like he wanted to. Your mother thought it would be a good idea for me to come and talk to you Sam".

"How dare you"! Sam was over her confusion and fully angry now.

"How dare you come here! I don't care if mom asked you or not, I don't want you here"!

Kim stepped in at this point. "Honey, you need to hear what he has to say".

"No I don't! Are you forgetting what he did to us? To you? What could he possibly have to say to me"?

"No sweetie, trust me, I have not forgotten. But please, you need to hear this".

Sam looked at her parents with a rebellious look on her face, as if she knew that they were right but did not want to admit it. Jimmy, for his part, looked partly amused and partly concerned. Still, he kept his hand in hers, squeezing it gently to let her know that he was there and that he supported her. Sam looked at her now boyfriend with a smile, letting him know that she appreciated the gesture before turning back to Chris.

"Fine. Say what you have to say Chris and get the hell out of my room".

The use of his first name stung a bit, but Chris hid it well and starting speaking"

"First of all, I know that this may not mean much, but I am truly sorry for what I did to you and Becky, as well as your mother all those years ago. I was…I was a different person back then. Not caring for anyone but myself and what I wanted. I did not care about you then, but you have to believe me when I say that I do now".

Sam couldn't believe what she was hearing. Did he actually expect her to forgive him now because he was this "new person"?

Sensing her disbelief, Chris went on. "You have every right to hate me and not believe me. I am not sure I would not be feeling the same way if I was in your shoes. I know that I may never have any kind of relationship with you after this, and I have to live with that. But there is one thing that you have to know, and after I say it, I will leave and you never have to see me again".  
Sam liked the sound of that. "Continue".

"What happened to you tonight Sam was NOT your fault. What Ben did to you he did to make himself feel better. Yes I know that he may have told you that it was for some kind of sick revenge, but the truth is that I barely know his father. I think I spoke to him only once or twice. He was just looking for an excuse to hurt you, to show his dominance over you, I'm sorry, but he never cared about you. I KNOW this because like I said, that was me five years ago. That is why your mother wanted me here tonight. Either her or Tommy could have told you the exact same thing but you have to admit that it has more meaning with me saying it".

Chris looked at his daughter, not that he had any right to call her that. The expression on her face was hard to read, though it did look like she was thinking, and he took that to be a good sign.

After a few minutes, she had still not said anything and Chris was giving up. Well, at least she heard what he had to say. He just had to hope that it sank in and it helped her a little bit. Feeling a bit out of place, he got up from his seat and started to make his way out of the door.

"Well, that's all I had to say. I hope that you make it through this Samantha. You deserve so much more than me as a father".

At this, Samantha finally spoke up.

"Maybe, and thank God I have a good father", she said smiling at Tommy who returned the smile, "but thank you for coming tonight. I know that it took a lot for you to do it, and I guess I have to respect that. I don't know if I can ever forgive you, but I will tell you this, I will work on trying to. It's all I can promise for now".

It was enough for Chris.

He gave a smile to Samantha and waved to Tommy and Kim before leaving the room. His own healing had finally started.

* * *

"Benjamin Anders, you have been found guilty of one count of assault and one of battery. Do you have anything to say before your sentence is pronounced"?

Ben said nothing. He was standing in front of this asshole of a judge who was daring to pretend to stand in judgment over him and he had just been found guilty. His lawyers had let him down of course. He had been promised that he would get off completely. But here he was…guilty, and he was not going to give them the satisfaction of saying anything at all, much less apologize. So he said nothing. Since he had just turned eighteen years old a few weeks before the assault, he was being tried as an adult, and that could make matters worse. The judge, seeing that his young charge was not going to say anything, proceeded to pass his sentence.

"Very well. Benjamin Anders, I believe that you are in no way remorseful for your actions and it is that fact more than any other that leads me to sentence you to the maximum sentence possible. You are hereby sentenced to spend six months in county jail, pay a fine of one thousand dollars, and attend anger management classes for the duration of your sentence. Upon completion of your jail time, you will be on parole for one year and complete one hundred hours of community service. Case closed".

With the bang of the judge's gavel, Ben was led away to start his sentence, silent until the end.

* * *

_**Five years later**_

He may have learned from the best, but Jim was still getting his butt handed to him. Of course, he was fighting his mentor, so this was expected. The day after Samantha's assault, Tommy Oliver had come to him and asked him if he wanted to learn to defend himself better. Of course he had jumped at the chance to learn from such an accomplished martial artist, and now, he was just a belt or two away from getting his black belt, which he was determined to get.

In those five years, he had become close to Tommy and his family, especially with Samantha. They had both graduated high school and went off to the same college. For some reason, they both ended up at Kansas State University. An odd choice, but it was where Sam wanted to go, and Jim just wanted to follow her. She had gotten her degree in social work and he in education. They had both graduated a few months ago and had come back home and found jobs. They were also living together, which was something neither set of parents was happy about, but raised little fuss about it, seeing how happy their kids were. None of them had heard much from Ben. The word around town was that he had served out his sentence, done his community service, and then moved to Colorado. No one knew what had happened to him after that, and no one really cared. All they cared about was that he was gone and out of their lives forever.

Tommy had just unleashed a vicious high kick that barely missed Jim's head. Jim went down low and executed a leg sweep that the older man jumped over easily before halting.

"Enough! Break time". Tommy sat down on a nearby bench, grabbing a bottle of water and throwing one to his daughter's boyfriend who took it gratefully.

"Not bad Jimmy. I can tell you are improving. When do you think you will be ready to try out for your green belt"?

"Not long. Next month most likely. Thanks for all your help and input Mr. Oliver. I really appreciate it".

Tommy shook his head, he was almost tired of having this argument.

"Jim I told you…."

"Yeah I know, its Tommy. Sorry, old habits and all. Any idea when the girls are getting back"?

Tommy shook his head. "No. Kim said something about the mall and dresses. After ten years of marriage, and twice that of knowing her, I have learned to tune her out whenever shopping is brought up".

Jimmy laughed. Samantha was almost as bad as her mother, and he hoped that she had money in her checking account by tonight. Then, all of a sudden, he turned serious.

"Look, Tommy, I know that you and Kim are not that happy with Sam and I living together…"

Tommy wasn't of course. When they had first told him, he had almost tossed Jimmy out of the house like he did Ben, but then he reminded himself that Jim was NOT Ben, so he had heard the young couple out.

"Yeah I did not like it then, and I am still not crazy about it. I know you are good for her, and you treat her right, but still…call me old fashioned. I just think that you should be married before you live together".

Jimmy suddenly got very embarrassed. Tommy had brought up just the topic he was going to talk about.

"Um yeah, you see that's exactly what I wanted to talk about".

Tommy turned sharply to look at him. Was he going to ask him what he thought that he was"?

"Mr. Oliver..Tommy. You see, I love Sam very, very much, and these past five years have been some of the best of my life. I have loved her for as long as I can remember. I love your family as well. You guys have treated me as one of you own, and I appreciate that. Well, I would like your blessing to ask Samantha to marry me".

Tommy grinned. Yes, he had said just what he thought he was going to. Of course he already knew the answer he was going to give, but first, the kid needed to be calmed down. He placed his hand on his shoulder and started to guide him into the house.

"I am glad you asked Jimmy, and I will answer, but first, I think we could both use a drink stronger than water".

A few hours later, a loud shriek followed by a louder YES could be heard coming from the direction of the Oliver house.

* * *

It was time. In just a few moments, Samantha Oliver would become Samantha Matten. She was not crazy about the name, but she was in fact crazy about the man attached to that name. Never in her life could she believe how lucky she was. In just a few minutes, she would be walking down the aisle to marry her best friend. Jim had been her friend forever, but it was only after she went through that terrible ordeal when she was seventeen that she finally saw him for what he was…a kind, gentle, caring person who put her before pretty much anything and anyone.

She almost hated herself for taking so long to realize that, but that did not matter now. That was in the past and this was the future.

"Are you ready sweetheart"?

Sam looked at the man standing beside her; the man who would be walking down the aisle to marry her love. He was getting older, but he still looked good in his white tuxedo and green vest and tie. She had insisted that Tommy walk her down the aisle. While he had considered having Chris do it or have both of them do it, the fact remained that Tommy had been there for her when Chris had not and he was her father. She and Chris had talked many times over the past six years, and they were better off than they had been, she had even forgiven him after seeing that he had really changed. But even he agreed that this honor had to go to Tommy. He was at the wedding though, sitting in the family section with his new wife and adorable baby son.

Wiping tears from her eyes, she whispered to Tommy.

"I just want you to know, before we do this, that I love you so much. Thank you for everything Daddy".

He never got tired of hearing her call him that. He wiped a tear from her face as he fought back his own.

"You are more than welcome princess, and I love you too. Now, let's go. We don't want Jimmy to think we left him do we"?

Sam laughed and took her father's arm as they heard the music start and they started their march. Yes, the future was bright indeed.

One year and eight months later, Thomas David Matten came screaming into the world followed two years later by his sister Abbygale Kimbery. Tommy doted on his grandkids and was accused constantly by Kim of spoiling them way too much.

Limbo was officially closed. Never to be seen again by Kim, her kids, or anyone related to them.

**And we are done! I know that this has been a long process and I am very happy that you guys have stuck with me this long! So, what do you think! Also, this is not all for me. In fact, I am starting work now on a new story, though it will be Harry Potter related, so if you are interested, check it out when I get it posted. Thanks again everyone!**


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